Written in the Stars
by RSwordsman
Summary: Harry discovers where his affection truly lies in an alternate fifth year. But once it's found, will it stay so simple?
1. Chapter 1

"Here you go, Professor," Harry said quickly as he jogged to the front of the dimly lit dungeon, handing Professor Snape his assignment on the creation of bezoars.

"It's about time," Snape replied, scowling as always, "Next time I will not be so lenient about late work."

"Professor," Harry began, "It's not late, it's only two minutes past the end of class, the rules say we've got five --"

"Harry!" Hermione interrupted, standing at the doorway, "We've got Divination next, we can't make it up the tower in time if we don't leave now!" Harry stifled his exasperation and hurried up the stairs with Hermione, walking briskly to make up their lost time.

"What was taking you so long anyway?" Hermione asked, "I mean, it's quite a simple process really, all that happens is that..."

Harry wasn't paying her a drop of attention to Hermione when he interrupted her to say, "Hi, Luna," as she walked past them on the way to Divination. Hermione looked at him quizzically.

"Were you listening to me? You talked right over me when you said "Hello" to Loony, er, I mean, Luna."

Harry realized how he had just acted. "Oh, I'm sorry, Hermione, my brain's a little burned out from Snape's class." He didn't tell her off for calling her "Loony" but felt an intangible itch whenever anyone called her that.

"I'm just trying to help you, Harry," Hermione replied, "I know your grades aren't the best, and we have a test tomorrow. I'd hate to see you fail."

He always knew she was a true and loyal friend, and this instance only further confirmed it. "I know, Hermione, I'm sorry," he said, slightly ashamed, "So, what were you saying about bezoars?"


	2. Chapter 2

Once they got to the Divination tower, he let Hermione through the trapdoor and motioned to clamber up himself.

"Hey Harry," Luna said in her airy voice, "I don't know how you beat me here, I saw you as I passed by. Must have been the telishdigs, always messing with time."

"Hey," Harry said casually, pondering her comment about telishdigs, whatever they were, and pulled himself up the ladder behind her.

"Come in, come in, clear your minds, my children, feel the vibrations of the future!" Professor Trelawney said in her usual ghostly, mystical voice. "Today, we will be working on the interpretation of dreams."

For once, Harry was actually interested in the subject of the class. He had had a very unusual and surreal dream the night before, and it had nothing to do with Voldemort at all, or anything else specific for that matter. He lay back in a chintz armchair, recalling the eerie combination of loneliness, happiness, and other flashes of emotion in his dream. As he jotted down the details, he flipped through the chapter on the significance of certain symbols in dreams. All he could come up with was that the loneliness corresponded to dissatisfaction with his current life, and the happiness was subconscious knowledge of future improvement of his standing.

"Anything else?" Hermione asked, as she was his partner in piecing together the information.

"Yeah," Harry replied, closing his eyes to better remember the details. "I know I saw a lot of red, a dark red color."

"Erm, that's something strong. It could mean anger, or love. Are you still getting on well with Cho?"

"No," Harry said, a little surprised. Was he completely over Cho, or did he still like her?

"Hmm," Hermione continued, "So love's out of the question. Are you angry with anyone?"

The image of Hermione mouthing the word "Loony" flashed in his mind. "Well, no, I don't think so."

"Alright, let's ask Professor Trelawney about it, maybe we can get some meaning out of it."

Professor Trelawney rose from her pouf, and spread her arms in a melodramatic gesture to the class. "Alright, is there anyone yet unfinished disentangling the intricacies of their dream?" Only a few hands went up.

"We've got a question, Professor," Hermione said, as she and Harry went to her desk with the notes. The professor took the paper, readjusted her gigantic round glasses, and sat down. They watched as she mouthed inaudible words to herself while reading, and then she smiled and giggled softly.

"What is it, Professor?" Harry asked, at a loss as to why she would find it funny.

"So, Harry," she said with a grin, leaning forward on the desk towards him, "What's the name of the girl you fancy?"

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" He said, taken aback by her forward and abrupt question.

"See?" she said, pointing to various words the parchment, "Oh, it's very clear. The red imagery shows that you've taken an interest in someone, and the happiness is how comfortable you are talking to and being with that person." He turned to Hermione, who gave him an awkward smile. "I don't have anyone I fancy right now."

"Ah, but the all-seeing eye disagrees! I would think carefully about everyone you know, Mr. Potter. You might realize how your feelings towards them could change." Harry and Hermione returned to their seats, and Harry racked his brains.

"I can't think of who she could be referring to," Harry said, annoyed. "I know it's not Cho, it's not you, no offense of course, but I have no idea."

"Don't worry too much about it," Hermione said, "How often has she made correct predictions before?"

"I guess you're right, but I still want to know."

"Come on, let's get back to the Common Room," Hermione said, "I bet Ron's there already, and I heard he had a very interesting Herbology class."


	3. Chapter 3

Just before the two of them reached the Fat Lady, Harry heard a pretentious voice echo across the grand staircase. He turned in the direction of the voice, and saw Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle blocking Luna's way up to Ravenclaw Tower.

"You go ahead without me, Hermione, I'll be there soon," Harry said, turning to look over the banister at three Slytherins blocking the staircase to Luna, with her glossy blonde hair, and unmistakable big blue eyes.

"If it isn't Loony Lovegood," Draco said, his arms crossed in an arrogant pose, "You mean to tell me a Rumple-Horned Snorkack hasn't eaten you yet?"

"That's Crumple-Horned Snorkack, and no, they're herbivores, for your information. They mostly eat --"

Draco drew his wand and pointed it at Luna. By now Harry was acutely paying attention. It was one thing for Draco to bicker with him, but now to threaten Luna as well? "_Expelliarmus!_" Harry shouted, his own wand leveled at Malfoy. The wand flew from his hand, and he was knocked to the ground. He, Crabbe and Goyle all scampered away, knowing what a skilled duelist Harry was. He walked down to Luna, who was smiling serenely at him.

"Are you all right?" Harry said, realizing that he was probably more tense than she was.

"Oh, yes, I'm perfectly fine. That Malfoy boy should read up on his magical creatures, he didn't even know what a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was." She momentarily stared into space again before remembering that Harry just stopped Malfoy from hexing her. "Oh I'm sorry Harry, I forgot to thank you for disarming him. I probably could have handled them myself, but it was a nice gesture."

"You're welcome, Luna," Harry said, unsure of what to say next. "Well, I guess I'm going up to the Gryffindor Common Room, see you around."

"Wait, Harry, one more thing," she said. Harry could swear she was blushing just a little bit.

"Yes?" he replied, anxious to hear what she thought was so important.

"Well, it's just that," she stammered, apparently unsure of how to say it. "You're a really good friend. No one is as nice to me as you are." Before Harry could say anything, she hugged him affectionately. Harry immediately noticed how silky her blonde hair was against his cheek, and lost himself in her warm embrace.

"You're a good friend too," Harry said back to her. "Well, I guess I'll be going now, see you." Harry walked back up the staircase, confused as he's ever been. He nearly walked headlong into the Fat Lady's portrait before she said, "Password?"

"Oh," he said, snapping out of his whirlwind of thought, "_miles tempi_." The Fat Lady swung open, and he stepped in, again distracted, remembering Luna's touch. He found Hermione and Ron engaged in a game of wizard's chess. Hermione looked up and said, "Hey Harry, what was that all about?"

"Nothing," he replied.

"Oh, bugger!" Ron interjected as Hermione's pawn brutally slew his bishop and dragged him off the board. "Come off it Harry, it's never nothing. Go on, spill."

Harry inhaled deeply. They must have noticed his distant stare and nervous disposition. "Well, Hermione, remember all that Trelawney said about me fancying someone, but not knowing who it is? I might have just found out."

"Really?" she said with an excited smile, turning towards him, "Who is it?"

"You're not gonna believe me if I say."

"Give it a go anyway, I want to hear this!" Ron said, finally turning his focus away from the chess game.

"Alright," Harry said, "I think it's Luna."

"Loony? Of all the girls in the school..."

Hermione smacked Ron in the arm. "Ronald! How would you like it if someone made fun of the person you fancied?"

"I wouldn't," he replied, "But all her nonsense about nargles and stuff, I just can't see why you'd fancy her."

"I don't know, Ron, that's just it," Harry said, obviously torn, "I mean, I don't like her stories about weird animals either, but she's really nice, and a genuine person, and I can connect with her."

"Yeah," Hermione chimed in, "I remember you telling me that both of you can see the Thestrals."

"Harry, your reputation might be good now, but imagine what will happen if you're seen with her. They'll be nicking your things and teasing you next!" Ron said, "I'm just looking out for you, mate."

Harry bit his lip. "Listen, I told you, I don't fancy her, I just like her as a good friend. I just said that she fits my dream that Trelawney interpreted."

"You dreamt about her?" Ron said, aghast, "Wow, that's pretty serious."

"I didn't dream about her, it was just about things that related to her. And it wasn't real things, just like emotions and such."

"Close enough for me," Ron said, returning his attention to the chess board.

"Hey," Hermione said, "the next Hogsmeade visit is this week. I think you should ask her to go with you. Not as a 'date' really, just to get to know each other better, as friends."

Harry thought on this for a moment. "Okay," he said, "but we've got a Quidditch match coming up against Slytherin, and I want to stay on top of my game. I'll only go if we're not doing any extra practice that evening."

"Have you gone mental, or just forgotten who you are?" Ron said, "You're the best bloody player on the team, and the best seeker in the whole school! Now you're just making excuses."

Harry sheepishly looked down and scuffed his feet. "Alright, I'll ask her. But you two can't be there when I do, it'll make it look really awkward."

"Alright, no problem Harry," Hermione said, "Ooh I'm so excited for you! I hope you have fun on your date!"

"Come on Hermione, it's not a date," Harry said, blushing slightly.

"I know, relax," she replied, "Just lightening the mood, so you're less nervous when you kiss her."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not going to kiss her, but if you want to picture that, go right ahead."


	4. Chapter 4

Harry couldn't stop wrestling with the thought of Luna as his girlfriend, and it cost him dearly the next day during his Potions test. He couldn't remember a single detail about general antidotes, and he was certain that he was going to fail miserably. His mind was so far removed from Potions that he accidentally wrote "Luna" down as one of the answers, and was forced to whisper "_Evanesco_" and precisely point his wand to remove the ink.

Not a second too soon, the clock signaled the end of the class, and everyone rushed to put their test paper on Snape's desk.

"How do you think you did?" Hermione asked him, scanning her parchment for any last-minute mistakes.

"Terrible," Harry said, "I couldn't remember anything, but it doesn't matter. I would fail Potions anyway, it's all Snape's doing."

Hermione pursed her lips. "I'll tell you what," she whispered, making sure Snape wasn't listening to them, "You can copy my notes for the next chapter, and I'll help you study. If you know what you're doing and you still get a bad mark, we'll know whose fault it is."

"Alright, sounds great, thanks," Harry replied. Both of them put their papers on the top of the stack and left for Divination.

"So, are you nervous about asking Luna to Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked, rearranging her hefty load of books in her bag.

"No," Harry replied quickly. "I told you, I don't fancy her. We're just going to talk normally, like you and I do."

"Alright then," she said, "But I'll be waiting after class to hear about it."

"Welcome, class, settle in," Professor Trelawney announced, once everyone was inside the stifling room, foggy with the smoke of incense. Harry looked over and saw Luna, leaning her head on her hand, gazing dreamily into the fireplace. He had no sense of how long he had been staring at her, he had been entranced by the way the flames flickered in her eyes.

Trelawney started again, "Today, we'll divert from dreams and go back to the crystal. This should be review for everyone, as the crystal ball is a third-year discipline."

"Great," Hermione groaned. Harry remembered just how strong her negative reaction to crystal gazing was two years back.

For about an hour, the two of them stared blankly into the glass orb. "This is stupid," Hermione said bluntly, "I can't believe they teach this load of tosh at Hogwarts, I mean --"

"Wait," Harry said, "I think I'm getting something. Come to this side, maybe you can see it too."

Hermione got up and looked over his shoulder at the crystal ball. "Oh yeah," she said, "I think I see it too. A raven or something, right? It looks like a black bird."

"Black?" Harry replied, confused. "No, it's not black. Definitely white, like a dove."

"Are you sure?" Hermione said. "That's really weird." She grabbed her Divination textbook, leafing through to the section on animals seen while crystal gazing.

"Animals, B, bats, bears, birds," she said, reading aloud from the index of animals. "Alright, it says here that the crow is a symbol of death, but the dove represents growth and life."

"Great, now you're predicting my death also, I think I have enough of that."

"I didn't mean it that way, that's just what it says here," Hermione retorted apologetically. "Oh wait, it says here that death isn't it's only meaning, it could also mean the end of anything."

"So that's the end of something for you, or me?" Harry said.

"I think it's the end of something for me," Hermione said. "I might have an idea of what it is."

"And what's your idea?" Harry asked, "You're not leaving Hogwarts or anything, are you?"

"No, it's not that," Hermione replied. She sighed uncomfortably before saying, "Nothing, nevermind."

Although they were already finished with the day's task, the two of them sat silently and stared fixedly into the crystal ball, pretending to try and see some more clues.

Harry continued his mental struggle. "Ron's right, I can't be with her. She's practically the laughingstock of the school! There are plenty of better girls. Padma Patil's not that bad, --"

"Hey Harry," Luna said, removing him from his daydream by tapping him on the shoulder, "Have you been able to see anything in there?"

"Erm, no, not really," Harry lied, not wanting to hint at his thoughts about her.

"Must be a moogan," she said matter-of-factly, "They slip inside crystal balls and stop them from showing anything. You know, the only way to get rid of one is to wash the crystal ball in a bowl of cold tomato soup some time in late June. They like the smell, and summer is when they're most active."

"Really," Harry said flatly, quite disillusioned with another story of her imaginary creatures. Was he really going to ask her to Hogsmeade?

"Alright everyone, our time has been spent," Trelawney said, much more teacher-ish than usual,"Write down what you saw in the crystals, and prepare an analysis over the weekend for presentation on Monday."

As the students gathered their books and filed down the trapdoor, Harry caught up to Luna. "Hey," he said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" Harry said coolly, thankful that the nerves he had with Cho didn't show themselves when he talked to Luna.

"Yes," she said, curious. "Why do you ask?"

Those nerves he thought were absent suddenly appeared. Why did he have to get tongue-tied now? "Well, er, could I meet you somewhere, you know, once we get there? For being friends, we really don't talk much to each other, and I'd like to."

The charm and radiance of her smile made him weak in the knees. Why all of the sudden did he feel so strongly about her, when only yesterday he listed all her traits that he disliked? "Alright, great," he said, "How about I meet you out in front of the Three Broomsticks?"

"Sounds good to me," Luna said, giggling as she walked away, "See you there Harry!"

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling to himself, "See you there."

"So," Hermione said as Harry stepped through the portrait hole, "Are you meeting Luna somewhere in Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

"Yeah, in front of The Three Broomsticks. We'll probably just have a few butterbeers and chat for awhile, I'll probably try and find you guys eventually."

"Ooh, are you sure you don't want to go to the coffee shop and snog?" Ron asked in a sophomoric tone.

"I'm telling you," Harry said, heat rising in his face, "We're not going to snog."

"Don't worry, we won't bother you," Hermione said, noticing his red cheeks and grinning, "Will we, Ron?"

"Oh no, definitely not," he said mischievously. "Seriously though, you're all right. We'll leave you two lovebirds alone."


	5. Chapter 5

Harry couldn't stop thinking about the Hogsmeade visit that night. It wasn't the usual nerves that came with a crush, but the thought of being alone with a girl other than Hermione that shook him.

"Oh, what am I worrying about?" He thought to himself as he lay in his four-poster, "She's probably more nervous than I am." He imagined the dormitory of Ravenclaw tower, and pictured Luna asleep, her bright blue eyes closed in complete tranquility. "Yeah, right. She doesn't get nervous. I'll be the one tripping over my words and I'll look like a fool. On second thought, I think it'll be alright..."

His half-asleep stream of thought eventually gave way. He dreamed he was standing in front of Luna, who wore the same shining, contagious smile as he had seen when he asked her to Hogsmeade. All of the sudden, she wrapped her arms around him, pulled him close and kissed him softly. He was surprised, scared, and excited all at once, and he kissed her right back. But then she put a hand on his shoulder and began jostling him for some reason. She said, "Harry, Harry!" but it wasn't her voice, it was Ron's. Everything began fading away, and when Harry opened his eyes, he saw Ron standing over him.

"It was like you were having a fit or something. You kept tossing around, and saying Luna, Luna," he said. Ron sighed and shook his head submissively. "You've got it bad for her, mate."

Harry could only look down at the twisted bedsheets, too embarrassed to come up with anything good to say. All he managed was, "Is breakfast over yet?"  
"No, it just started a few minutes ago. You've still got plenty of time."

Harry adjusted his glasses, which he was still wearing when he fell asleep, and pulled on his robe before heading down to the Great Hall. He found Hermione sitting with Ginny at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey," he said roughly to the two girls.

"Morning Harry," Hermione said. "You look a bit shaken, is everything all right?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I'm fine." He looked over at Ginny, who had a somewhat hopeless expression. He knew that Ginny had fancied him since they had met, and was depressed hearing that he was meeting another girl after Cho.

"I just told Ginny about the Hogsmeade trip," Hermione said, confirming his suspicion.

"You didn't tell her it was a date, did you?" Harry replied, "Because it's still just 'as friends'."

"Hm, that's nice," Ginny chimed in, perking up a little after hearing the good news.

"Yeah, we're just going to have a few butterbeers and talk, that's all," Harry said to Ginny, "It's no big deal."

"If you say so," Hermione said sarcastically.

The entire day dragged terribly for Harry. Snape's class could have been a week long, it seemed, especially since he was going to see Luna in Professor Trelawney's class.

"This will be another day of review for you, as I've already given you your dream assignment," Trelawney said. She winked at Harry when she continued, "Feel free to call upon the powers of the crystal ball should you require a little extra insight."

Harry forced his eyes away from Luna and stared into the crystal ball placed on the table, watching the swirling mist inside. Eventually, parts of the cloudy gas materialized into hexagonal shapes, drifting downward. They became clearer and clearer until they were perfect snowflakes.

"Heh, since when did I get so good at this?" Harry said aloud.

"Good at what?" Hermione said, looking up from her Arithmancy notes.

"Divination," Harry replied, "I can see snowflakes. You think it might snow tonight?

"I hope not," Hermione said, "It's only the beginning of November!"

"Yeah, and we're going into Hogsmeade tonight. Let's hope for some good weather."

He looked over at Luna. She was reclining in an armchair with her eyes closed, her feet on a pouf, humming to herself. Was she thinking about tonight as much as he was?


	6. Chapter 6

"Since when do you go around breaking rules?" Harry said in a mock-admonishing voice as Luna adjusted his cloak around herself.

"I don't know," she replied. She wasn't staring into space this time, but directly into his eyes, in a very un-Luna-like way. "It just didn't seem right to leave a friend like that, even if I got in trouble for it."

Harry felt yet another flood of affection for her. He just grinned at her, looking as she smiled back across the table.

"Alright, what can I get you two?" Madame Rosmerta said, smiling pleasantly at them.

"A butterbeer would be fine," Harry and Luna said at the same time, looking at each other and chuckling.

Madame Rosmerta shared in their merriment. "Well, aren't you two cute?" she said, causing Harry to avert his eyes as he felt the twinges of heat in his cheeks, "Alright, one butterbeer for both of you."

"What's wrong, Harry?" Luna asked, "You look a little warm."

"Er, yes," Harry said, loosening his collar, "Is it a bit stuffy in here??

"Hmm," Luna replied, "I guess I didn't notice, after being out in the cold for so long." They were silent for awhile, and Harry's blushing subsided. Then Luna said, her eyes alive with excitement, "Oh, that reminds me! I got an owl from my dad earlier today, and forgot to tell you. The two of us are spending Christmas break on holiday in the States!"

Never having been outside of England, he had no idea how to react. But judging by her energy, it was a good thing. "I've never been there, what's it like?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Luna said thoughtfully, "But my dad says it's great! He said we're going someplace tropical, with palm trees and colorful fish and swimming pools and..."

"And?" Harry urged her on, her excitement rubbing off on him.

"Nevermind," Luna said. "But that's not the best part! He said that I can bring a friend! I knew right away I wanted you to come with me."

"That's brilliant!" Harry said. "Thank you so much. But it's a long way by broom, even by Firebolt. And I don't have a passport, or any muggle money, and we can't Apparate."

"That's why my dad's coming. We can side-along Apparate with all of our things. Harry took a deep breath, overwhelmed by this news.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Luna," Harry said. The urge to take her hand was so strong it stung him, but he resisted, still unsure of how she felt about him.

Luna said soothingly, "It's quite alright, it's what best friends do. And besides, after what you've done for me this past week, it's the least I could do for you."

Harry was a bit incredulous. "Luna, don't worry about having to repay me for anything. Whatever I do for you is because I want to, not because I'm after some reward."

"Well," she replied, "That's very noble of you Harry. But I would have asked you anyway."

Harry was thrilled at her straightforward admiration of him, yet still couldn't tell if she fancied him or just liked him as a best friend. Although Harry felt so different with her, he didn't know her well enough to be sure of how she behaved when she fancied someone.

"Alright," Luna said, draining the last of her butterbeer, "Aren't you ready to find Ron and Hermione? It must be getting late."

Harry hadn't the slightest clue what time it was. Although it felt like minutes had passed, the inn had mostly cleared out, and as they stepped outside, the frosted street was empty of people.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh my," Harry said. "We'd better go, come on."

"Here Harry, you can have your cloak back," Luna said, the color completely returned to her rosy cheeks.

"Oh no, you can keep it, I'm quite alright."

"I'm fine Harry, you can wear it," she said, insisting. She swept the cloak around him with the same motion he had done to her earlier, except she didn't drop her arm immediately as he did. She held his shoulder and turned him around to face her, and wrapped him in her arms again, laying her head on his chest.

"I had a wonderful time," she said, "much better than the other Hogsmeade trips."

"So did I," Harry said. He closed his eyes, stroking her silken hair. Harry was dizzy. He'd had his experiences with Cho, but never felt anything so exhilarating as he did right then. Not even flying set his heart fluttering like this. She sighed softly, and finally parted from him.

"We should find the other two, they're probably looking for you," she said, beginning to wander down the road. Just then, Hermione burst rapidly from the coffee shop, followed by Ron. She sighed loudly in relief, and ran to Harry.

"Harry, where have you been!" she said, as Ron caught up, "We've been looking all over for you, we're going to be late back up to the castle!"

"Relax, Hermione," Harry said, gesturing her to calm down as she panted with nerves and the effort of running around Hogsmeade through the deepening snow, "I was with Luna in The Three Broomsticks."

"We were just in there, we didn't see you anywhere."

"We just left, you probably were in there after we were already gone," Harry said, looking to the stars, savoring his tender moment with Luna.

"Well it's okay now, I guess," Hermione said, "We'd better get back to the group." The four of them crunched through the snow, up the hill to the throng of students, much quieter now after the buzz of activity in Hogsmeade.

The foursome walked at the back of the group, close to Professor McGonagall. Everyone was still silent as they entered the castle, and split in four different directions. Inevitably, they arrived at the split in the staircase, and Harry and Luna had to part ways. Although Luna seemed quite at ease, with her hands clasped behind her back, Harry kept his hands in his pockets and shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I'll see you," he said quietly, still jittery from before.

"Yeah, I'll see you Harry," she replied, and turned towards Ravenclaw tower, not surrendering a ghost of a hint to Harry of her feelings.

As they got into the common room, all but Harry and Ron retreated to the dormitories. Ron stoked the fire as Harry flopped into an armchair. Shortly afterward, Hermione reappeared in her nightgown, and sat down beside Harry on the footrest.

"So, Harry," she said, tired but eager for the news, "How'd it go?"

Harry hesitated. "You're sure you're all right?" Ron said, "You're shaking like a leaf." If he couldn't be open with Hermione and Ron, he couldn't be open with anyone else on earth.

"I'm fine, Ron," he said, "I had the time of my life. When I was with Cho, yeah I fancied her, but it felt shallow. I mean, we never talked about anything important, and that whole relationship was a chore. But with Luna," he continued, bracing himself for what he was about to say, "It felt so, right. I wonder if it's supposed to feel this way."

"Then you don't just fancy her," Hermione said. Harry knew that they'd take him seriously, but was grateful all the same. "That's when it's called love," she said, looking placidly at him. Harry looked to Ron, who sat by the fireplace, shifting the logs with a poker. Hermione caught Harry's hint, and said, "What have you got to say, Ron?"

"Luna," he said, shaking his head, "I never would have guessed. Of course, I could see it coming after I saw you having that dream."

"Well, you are okay with it, aren't you?" Harry said, apprehensive. He knew that Ron didn't look very highly on Luna.  
"Of course, mate," he said, reassuringly, "Sure, I may poke some fun a few times, but I'm with you, and who you fancy is no exception."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said, his expression stolid, even though he wanted to squeal with delight.

"Well, that was a good heart to heart," Hermione announced, "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, boys."

"I think I'll go as well," Harry said, as Hermione ascended the spiral stairs and out of sight.

"Alright, see you in the morning," Ron replied. Although full of energy just moments before, Harry suddenly felt sapped, as if a switch was flipped inside him. He lay in bed, and although he was weary, he rolled over but couldn't fall asleep. The other-worldly ecstasy of Luna in his arms was too much, and he relived it over and over in his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

"Am I boring you, Mister Potter?" Snape said. Harry hadn't a wink of sleep the night before, and even his slightest motions ached from fatigue. He raised his head painfully from the desk, and said truthfully, "No sir, I wasn't able to sleep at all last night."

"I didn't ask for an explanation. Five points from Gryffindor." Harry winced as he hauled himself upright in the seat and ran his fingers through his hair, messier than usual from his restless night. Yawning and fighting the relentless heft of his eyelids, he was able to scribble some notes down about the effects of restoration potions.

"For those of you who are not paying attention," Snape said, his sharp stare aimed at Harry, "It's your lucky day. Today we will be concocting an energy potion brewed to stave off the effects of fatigue and sleep-deprivation. I'm sure Potter here is quite grateful." Harry sighed with relief, knowing that he'll not have to go through another class weighed down as he was. "But unfortunately," Snape continued, "It's a draught that requires utmost precision. Make it too concentrated, and it will send the imbiber into cardiac arrest. Too weak, and it will be as worthless as a rebellious house-elf." Harry expected an indignant huff from Hermione, but looked over to see her keeping herself to a scowl. She needed to focus too much to divert attention away from the ingredient list. "You've been given your notes, the ingredients are in their usual place, you may begin."

One person from each group went to fetch the necessary odds and ends, in Harry's case it was Hermione. She sat back down and began organizing what they needed for the potion. Harry could only pick his cauldron from the floor and thump it on the table with a sharp clang.

"Alright, liquefied sunflower petals, four grams of pure water, one hummingbird feather..." Hermione mumbled to herself as she sorted the vials, "Harry, are you feeling alright?"

He had been watching languidly with his head on the desk. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired."

"Why?" she asked bluntly, "You went to bed on time, at least I think so."

"Yeah," Harry said, his voice muffled with his head resting on his arms, "But I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about Luna."

"I'm sorry," she said, without a lot of outward sympathy, "Well I'll do most of the potion for us, but can you at least help by slicing the Crup hairs into one-centimeter lengths?"

"Sure," he said, yawning, "I can do that." He took the scalpel-sharp ingredient knife and ruler and began cutting the hairs with meticulous attention. But his great fatigue soon overtook his focus, and his cuts became sloppy. Hermione didn't notice, as she was too busy measuring the liquid petals and water. One of the hairs Harry noticed was too long by at least a half-centimeter. But his exhaustion got the best of him. He thought, "Oh, what difference will one hair make?" even though he had been shown numerous times that in Potions, the smallest discrepancies have potentially catastrophic effects. He finished cutting the Crup hairs, released the knife unceremoniously on the table, and rested his head on his arm. He lost track of how long he sat there, and it seemed like an instant before Snape called "I think there has been ample time for everyone to finish working, now each group will be graded on the efficiency of their potion."

Harry opened his eyes and inhaled abruptly, his face warm from the small flame alight under their cauldron. He sat up and watched as Snape stalked around, inspecting as a member of each group ladled some of their potion into a flask and drank it. He watched curiously as Seamus immediately sat rigidly upright, his eyes open in what looked like permanent terror. Harry laughed when he stood up sharply, knocking his chair into the table behind him, and sprinted around the room.

"Not bad work from you two. A bit strong, just make sure he doesn't break any bottles, and if possible try and direct him towards the hospital wing," Snape said, now looming over Harry and Hermione's table. "Let's see how attentive you are after taking a gulp of this," Snape said. Hermione watched nervously as Harry poured the potion into a flask, and drank lustfully. He took a deep breath. The colors of the room seemed bright and washed out as his pupils dilated, and he shook fiercely. This was stronger than any adrenaline he had felt in his life. All tiredness was gone, now he was running on redline. His heart screamed, it was thundering so hard and so rapidly. He doubled over, the burning in his chest increasing with every beat of his overwhelmed heart.

"Harry!" he heard Hermione shriek, and he hit the ground hard.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the white stone of the ceiling of the hospital wing and a gathering of people around his bed. Madam Pomfrey dabbed his forehead with a damp cloth before rushing off again. Ron stood over him, comforting Hermione, her face red and tear-streaked, but relieved to see him awake. Luna knelt beside him, clutching his hand, looking more stressed than he had ever seen her. Hermione practically pounced on him, and she said, "Harry! I'm so glad you're alive!"

"I am too," he said groggily, "What happened?"

"After you drank the potion, you went into cardiac arrest," she replied. Once Harry sat up and put on his glasses, she smacked him in the arm. "Don't you ever scare us like that again! We thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my own fault," he said, recoiling from her sudden assault, "I remember not being careful cutting the Crup hair, there must have been too much in the potion."

"You're bloody well right there was!" she said. Her expression went from a glare to a much milder look when she added, "I'm so sorry, I know you've gone through enough already. But when I saw you hit the floor back there, I just lost it."

Harry turned the other way and looked to Luna. Her big, vibrantly blue eyes blinked rapidly, clearly fighting back tears. "Luna," he said.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she was interrupted by an authoritative shout of "Enough visiting time for today, give him some air, will you?" and Madam Pomfrey motioned to shoo them out of the room. Hermione and Ron started to walk out, and Hermione looked longingly back at him. Luna squeezed his hand again before rising to leave herself.

"Wait," Luna said.. She turned around to go back to him before Madame Pomfrey insisted. "I said no more visitors for now, you'll have to come back later."

"Please, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, "Just for a little while."

"Oh, alright, five minutes, not a second more," she replied, fussing as she walked away. Luna knelt by his side again. This time it was Harry whose fingers slid into her hand.

She smiled weakly as he did this. "After last night, I thought all of this was too good to be true," she said in a frail voice, her lip trembling slightly, "And when I had heard you had a heart failure in potions, it almost was." She looked down and closed her eyes, a tear falling from her cheek.

He couldn't hide his surprise when she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Her raw emotion bit into him. He had never seen her cry before, and realized that he must be incredibly important to her. He placed his other hand on top of hers, and said reassuringly, "It's okay. I'm still alive." He grinned at her, and his heart sang when she cracked a smile as well. "Remember, this is Madam Pomfrey we're talking about. She can cure anything right away, even if she says I need a couple days of bedrest afterwards."

"You'll be alright by the time Christmas break comes around, won't you?" she said, regaining her composure and her naturally soothing voice.

"Oh of course," Harry said, "I couldn't leave a friend standing out there like that."

He laughed as Luna beamed at him and said, "You're the best," before once again burying him in a hug.


	9. Chapter 9

When Madam Pomfrey wasn't looking, Harry slid out of bed and walked around, stretching his bedridden legs. The arched wooden doors to the hospital wing creaked open, and Harry turned to see Luna enter.

"Hey Harry," she said, her mouth curled into a grin.

"Hey," he replied, turning away a little. He wasn't wearing anything more than pajama pants, and felt a little self-conscious of his very thin physique, especially in front of Luna.  
"So, how have you been?" she asked, failing to hide that her eyes moved up and down his body.

He sat back down on the side of the bed. "Not that great," Harry said, "I mean, I feel perfectly fine, but I hate being stuck in bed like this." Harry gulped and mustered his courage. "I'd rather spend time with you."

He could tell by her shy smile that she was very flattered. "Thanks," she said, "Well you'll get to pretty soon. We're Apparating to Florida bright and early on Saturday morning."

"I can't wait," he said. "So, what are you doing here, aside from coming to visit me?"

She joined him on the bed, positioning herself very close beside him, and swung her feet idly. "Well, what I came for was to tell you about the homework for Trelawney's class. We're supposed to go up to the Astronomy Tower tonight, but with you stuck here, I guess I'll just give you a copy of my star-chart."

"Thanks, but I don't think that's necessary. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey's already told everyone about what happened, I think she'll excuse me from one assignment." Harry looked at her, her expression as serene as usual.

"Oh well, it's the thought that counts," she said, noticing an owl glide past the slate-grey background of the window, "Anyway, how long did Madam Pomfrey say you had to stay here?"

"I think she said one more day at most," Harry said, "Just until she's sure that I had no permanent side effects from that potion."

"That's good," she said, "Because I also wanted to ask if I could see you after Divination tomorrow. There's something I've got to show you."

"Really," Harry said, apprehensive of another outrageous creature story, but intrigued as well, "What is it?"

"I'd rather not say," she replied, cracking a childish 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' grin, "I want you to see it for yourself."

"You know I'll be there," Harry said, smiling warmly at her. Then he shivered, rubbing the goosebumps on his bare shoulders and sides.

Luna noticed Harry reacting to the chill in the room. She didn't say anything, but just put her arm, and her warm robe sleeve, around his bony frame to help warm him up.

"Thanks," he said. He was pretty embarrassed now that she was touching his bare skin, but excited also, putting his arm around her waist. They could feel each other slightly rise and fall with each breath, and Harry felt her pulse quicken along with his own thumping in his chest.

"Alright, you two, this is a healing ward, not a cuddle room," Madam Pomfrey said, bustling over to the two of them and beckoning them to separate.

Luna was the first to break off, and stood up from the bed. "Well," she said, breathing audibly, her expression a slightly dazed smile after feeling Harry's touch, "I guess I'll let you get back to sleep then."

"It's not like I can do much else," he laughed, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," Luna said. She looked longingly at him for a few seconds and nervously swallowed, hesitating. She finally tore her eyes from him and hurried out of the room. Harry could tell she wanted to kiss him. Inside he was saying "Come, it's alright, I want to also," but refrained. He felt it would be far too awkward to say anything of the sort.

He chewed on his lip, instantly despising himself his inaction. "We could have right there, I know it," he said, swinging his feet up onto the bed and putting his face in the pillow, "I nearly kissed her." He tried thinking of other things, such as the next Quidditch game, walking around under his invisibility cloak, playing on Dudley's computer, anything to try and ignore this new splinter of regret. Rolling over under the covers, he finally drifted off.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry awoke the next morning to to Madam Pomfrey's voice. "Alright, Mister Potter," she sighed, sounding defeated after finding nothing else amiss with him for her to fix, "You may leave."

"Finally," Harry thought, hopping out of bed. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," he said excitedly.

"Be sure to take your clothes," she said, reminding him strongly of Mrs. Weasley, "I'm not going to deliver your robes back up to the Gryffindor Common Room, and I'm sure your professors wouldn't much appreciate you showing up to class in pajamas."

"Don't worry, I am," Harry said, stripping off his pajamas and hurriedly donning his robes, eager to be finally getting out of the hospital wing. He slid open the big oaken door, saying "Thanks again!" before rushing up to Gryffindor Tower. He hadn't spoken to Ron or Hermione since they first visited him earlier in the week.  
Making his way up towards the portrait, he saw Ginny heading towards her DADA class. "Hey, Gin," Harry said, smiling. They hadn't had the chance to talk for some time, and he was expecting a delighted response.

"Oh, hi," she replied, looking at him, stone-faced. She kept walking.

"Hm, that was weird," Harry thought, "I wonder what's going on with her?" He dismissed it and kept walking, eager to see Ron and Hermione again.

"Hey guys," he said, clambering through the portrait.

"Harry!" Hermione said, running up and hugging him tightly, "About time you got out of the hospital wing! How are you, are you all right? How's your heart, that potion didn't permanently hurt you, did it? I hope --"

"Hermione, please," Harry said, overwhelmed with her barrage of questions, "I'm perfectly fine, it's good to see you to."

"Oh, sorry," she replied.

"Nevermind," Harry said, "Where's Ron? I haven't seen him in ages either."

"I think he's with Fred and George," Hermione said, her hands on her hips, "God only knows what they're up to. Probably lighting off some Filibuster Fireworks in the library or something."

"I'd be surprised if it wasn't worse than that," Harry said, chuckling at what he remembered of Fred and George's antics. "Oh yeah. And I saw Ginny just now, she seemed angry with me about something. I know she's usually shy around me, but she barely even said hi, and I haven't even talked to her in weeks."

"Hmm, I've no idea," Hermione said. She sat down in an armchair and sighed. "Oh, I think I know what it is."

"Yeah, what do you think?" Harry replied.

"I saw her talking with Luna at breakfast this morning, and I overheard Luna say she visited you in the hospital wing again. You know Ginny's fancied you forever, I bet she didn't like hearing that you two, er, 'have a thing' for each other." She lay her head back in the chair, apparently deep in thought when Harry said, "Huh, is that what it is? Well, just because I've been seeing Luna doesn't mean I have to stop being friends with Ginny." They sat silently for awhile, then Hermione started in again  
"Well, you should at least tell her about the situation, it would at least lessen the tension a little," she said, "I'm sure she'd rather hear it from you than Luna."

"Erm, Hermione," Harry said tensely, "do you think that, er, maybe you could talk to Ginny? I mean, she might not listen too well if she's mad at me, she'll at least hear you out if you told her."

"I know that it will be uncomfortable for you, Harry, but I think you should tell her. It is about you, and – On second thought, I'll talk to her for you, don't worry about it." Hermione gave him a hasty smile.

Harry sat, confused at why she changed her mind so suddenly. "Alright, thanks. It'll help me out a lot."

"No problem," she replied tersely.

Harry couldn't understand why she was acting so unusual, and she seemed more distant than normal. "I'm going to see if I can find Ron, I'll see you later. Thanks again."

"Bye," she replied, grabbing a book and opening it on her lap. Harry stepped out of the portrait, feeling like he barely knew her anymore after that conversation. He got down towards the castle grounds and saw a brilliant yellow figure in the distance. As Harry got closer, he could see that it was Ron, covered head to toe in a violently yellow powder.

"What in blazes happened to you?" Harry said, gazing dumbstruck at the mess covering Ron.

"Long story, he said with a serious expression, patting Harry on the back, "Come here, I'll show you." He lead Harry back into the castle to a secluded corridor near the greenhouses, where he could hear angry sobs over Peeves' taunting voice.

"It's Ginny," Ron said, "She's really upset about something. I tried stopping Peeves from attacking her, but he got me with some kind of powder. I figured I'd make my way to the washroom, and maybe catch you along the way." Soon, they heard a cackle, a crash and another wave of sobs from an empty room up ahead

"Whinging Weasley, Whinging Weasley, hope this doesn't make you cry!" Harry heard Peeves say, and then another shatter of glass resonated from the room.

Harry swept into the room, giving Peeves a stare as cold as death.

"If it isn't Potty Wee Potter, saving the day again!" Peeves said, turning away from Ginny, who was curled up in the corner.

"Hey Peeves," Harry said in a mischievous tone, "I heard Umbridge is in her office rearranging her china cabinet. Maybe you should pay her a visit."

"Oh goody," Peeves said, steepling his fingers and grinning wickedly, "Don't let Whinging Weasley dry up before I come back!" He swooped out of the room with a high-pitched shriek, leaving the room quiet. Ginny ran to him, the tears flowing freely.

"I'm so sorry Harry, I'm sorry," she said, burying her face in his robes.

"It's alright, really," Harry said, trying to comfort her, but surprised at how extreme her apology was, "Sorry for what?"

She let go of him and regained her composure, wiping her eyes in her sleeve, "For acting how I did towards you. I know you didn't do anything to me, but," she said, her eyes downcast, "I heard you're going with Luna on holiday tomorrow and, and I can't stand it!" she sank into a chair, in a miserable state. "I guess there's no sense trying to hide it now," she added, "I've always sort of fancied you, ever since we met," she said. She came close, but just wasn't able to look him in the eye when she said this. If her face wasn't so red from crying, it would be from her fierce blushing.

"I know," he said kindly. "Well, I have to say, it wasn't exactly hard to tell."

"Really?" she sniffed, "I thought if I told you, you'd think I was creepy or something, and if you didn't feel the same way, we couldn't be friends anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked, "I knew all along, but I didn't let it get in the way of our friendship. It's fine, really."

"But you and Luna, are you still--?" she said, stumbling on her last word.

"Yeah, we are," he said, "Sorry."

"No," she said definitively, "Don't be sorry. It's not like we have much of a choice of who we fancy anyway." With her last sentence, Harry was glad to see that she laughed a little.

"Yeah, I guess not," Harry said, now feeling some sympathy for her, looking so despondent as she did.

She got up and dusted herself off, finally able to meet him eye to eye. "Have fun in on you holiday," she said sincerely.

"I will, thanks," Harry replied. Ginny cleared her throat and left the room, Harry assumed in a much better state than when she entered. He sighed, heading back up to the common room.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry stepped back through the portrait to find Hermione exactly where he had left her, reading in a big red armchair. "So," she said expectantly, laying her book open on a table, "That was quick. Where'd he go off to?"

His mind still on his meeting with Ginny, Harry had no idea who she was referring to. "Who are you talking about? Where'd who go?"

"You said you went to find Ron. Where is he?"

"Oh," Harry replied, remembering his earlier exchange with Hermione, "He's probably in the bathroom near the Great Hall washing off. He was covered in some sort of yellow powder, I haven't a clue why."

"Figures," she said, rolling her eyes, "He was with Fred and George, I'm not surprised something weird like that happened with those nutters." She settled back into the chair, returning to her book. "I suppose we'll hear what happened once he gets back."

"I hope so," Harry said, pulling up a chair beside her. No sooner did he sit down than he saw Ron climb through the portrait hole, his robes dripping wet and still bearing muddy traces of the yellow substance.

"You'll never believe what just happened," Ron said, chuckling at their reaction to his sodden appearance.

"I bet we will, knowing Fred and George," Harry said, grinning at this absurd scene, "Well? What happened?"

"Alright," Ron began, wringing the water from his sleeve, "We had overheard Filch talking to Snape. Apparently he needed some sort of ingredient for whatever reason. Fred saw him pull out a vial of yellow powder to show to Snape, and got an idea. With the help of Peeves causing trouble in Umbridge's office, the two of them were able to sneak down to Zonko's and pick up a large amount of yellow powder to plant somehow so he'd be covered in it."

"I can see where this is going," Hermione said, "Let me guess. Something went wrong, you got hit with the powder, and Fred and George were both expelled."

"Erm, kind of," Ron replied. "Something did go wrong, but of course neither of them got expelled. It's practically a miracle that none of us were caught or even accused."

"You're right, that is a miracle." Harry said. "You are talking about Filch and Snape, right? Between those two, it's always either Fred and George's, or my fault, no matter what it is or how good our alibis may be."

"That's the thing," Ron said, "There was one other person there that took the full blast of Filch's anger."

"Who was it?" Harry said, listening closely.

Ron looked misgivingly at him. "You're not gonna like it."

"You're killing me Ron, who?" Harry replied, leaning forward with suspense.

"It was Luna. I don't know why, but she was in the greenhouses when they set up the prank. I was in there distracting Filch, while Fred and George-- wait, There's more to the story! Where are you going?"

"To find Luna," Harry said, rising from his chair and grabbing the Marauders' Map and his invisibility cloak. "I'm sorry Ron, I'll hear the full story later."

"Alright, suit yourself," he said, continuing the recount for Hermione.

Under the cover of the cloak, Harry activated the map. He saw Luna and Filch in his quarters on the ground floor. Harry had been there himself, and knew it was a place that students avoided at all costs, even more so than Snape's office. Harry shuddered as he imagined Luna shackled to the wall, suffering Filch's inhumane punishment. "No way," he said to himself, hurrying downstairs. He knew that Dumbledore would never allow anyone to be bound or tortured, but the image in his head frightened him all the same.

He looked through the keyhole in Filch's door and saw Filch prowling around Luna, who was sitting in a chair with her hands in her lap, looking up at him as he spoke. As menacing as Filch was when he was angry, Luna appeared quite unfazed, relaxed even. "No wonder I fancy her," he thought. Her resistance to stress was almost superhuman. He pressed his ear to the keyhole and heard Filch's gravelly accent.

"Dumbledore may fall for these little games of yours, but I don't trick so easily. Don't try and tell me you didn't do it, I saw you hiding behind the table when that other boy was hit with a blast of yellow powder."

"Sir," she said, with utmost respect and composure, "I'm not lying. I wasn't in the greenhouse to pull a prank. I have no idea what happened."

"Oh yeah?" Filch grunted, leaning to within inches of her face, "Then what were you there for?"

"I-- I was getting belladonna for Potions class," Luna said, not as easily as before, "I needed belladonna for my potion, and Snape sent me to get some." Harry wondered why she hesitated.

"And," Filch continued, "Do you have what you need, or did you forget it in the greenhouse?" He paced smugly as she turned out her empty pockets.

He saw the stress in her face when she answered. "I must have dropped it when you grabbed me, I could go now and pick it up."

"Ha ha ha, the hat put you in Ravenclaw for a reason," Filch said, touching the Ravenclaw shield on her robe with his finger, "That's a very clever story you've pieced together."

Harry knew that Luna was running out of time. He carefully aimed his wand through the keyhole at Filch and whispered "_Muffilato_." Once he was sure Filch was completely deaf, he gingerly turned the door handle. When Filch looked away, he lowered the cloak so that Luna could see his face. He put his finger to his mouth in a shushing gesture, then pulled the cloak back over himself.

"What? Who's there?" Filch said, noticing the open door. Harry managed to slip completely inside just as Filch pulled the door shut with a loud slam, and locked it. Under the cloak, with Filch under the Muffilato spell, Harry could nearly do whatever he pleased, so long as he didn't accidentally bump into Filch in the tight quarters.

"Now, as I was saying," Filch said, leaning over Luna on the arms of the chair, "You were caught red-handed in the middle of a prank, then tried to lie to cover it up. That's grounds for – oof!"

Harry barely stifled a laugh as the dingy pillow he swung at Filch hit him squarely in the back of the head.

"Peeves!" he yelled, staggering and waving his arms in futility, "Show yourself! I'll have the Bloody Baron deal with you, I swear it!" He banged his fists down on the arms of the chair where Luna was still sitting, making Harry jump. "You mark my words, girl. Move one muscle and I'll have you expelled!" He stormed out of the room, and Harry pulled off his cloak.

"Good timing, Harry," she said, getting up and wrapping her arms around him, "By the way, you make an excellent Peeves."

"Thanks," he replied. "Come on, let's get out of here before he gets back."


	12. Chapter 12

"Filch didn't get your name, did he?" Harry whispered, looking worriedly into her bright eyes as the two of them crept back upstairs, their path lit only by dying torches and the bluish glow of starlight.

Luna giggled. "No, he didn't think of that, he was too busy with thinking of a punishment for me."

"Whatever works," Harry chuckled.

The two of them arrived at the fork in the staircase, each end leading to their respective common rooms. Luna pulled the cloak from over her head. Unable to see him, she looked in his general direction and said, "Thanks again for saving me from Filch, Harry."

"My pleasure," Harry said, finally taking the cloak off and folding it under his arm. He couldn't catch himself before he added, "Since it was for you."

"Oh come on, Harry," she said, smiling, "You'd do the same for anybody."

"Maybe," he replied. "But it wouldn't be the same."

Luna just grinned at him, speechless. Suddenly, she raised her eyebrows as a thought hit her. "Oh I just remembered now, there's something I've been meaning to show you. I mentioned it when you were in the hospital wing, but forgot about it until now."

"What is it," Harry asked, very curious now.  
"You'll see," she replied, "It's in my common room."

"Alright, I'll wait here while you get it."

Before she could respond, they heard the irregular clomp of Filch's limping gait, and ducked under the cloak again just as Mrs. Norris leaped onto the banister a few steps lower than where they stood. She stretched and meowed weakly, and Filch huffed up the stairs towards her.

"What's this, Mrs. Norris? Students out of bed? I know they're around here somewhere. Well Mrs. Norris, where are they?" His cat just yawned and lay down on the inclined banister, clearly too tired to aid in Filch's investigation.

Under the invisibility cloak, Harry and Luna crept soundlessly up the steps. They listened intently as Filch grunted complaints at his cat, who with a loud cry of reluctance, was seized around the midsection and carried back downstairs. Harry turned around, looking for a reasonably sized portrait serving as the door into Ravenclaw's common room.

"So, where's the portrait," he asked, "We're at the top of the stairs, and there's no big painting anywhere."

"Oh, you don't get in by portrait," she said, "It's what makes Ravenclaw so unique. Come on, I'll show you." She led him to a large statue of an eagle with a door knocker in its beak. She tapped the knocker very softly, avoiding the resounding bang that usually accompanied someone's entrance into the common room.

A deep, sonorous voice emanated from the statue. It said, "Hildegard, Francis and Gravius are an Auror, an alchemist, and a professor. The professor, who is an only child, earns the least money. Gravius, who married Hildegard's sister, earns more than the alchemist. What is each person's job?"

"I don't get it," Harry said, "Why is it asking a riddle?"

Luna ignored him. She thought for a second, before saying, "Oh! I've got it. If Francis is the professor, that makes Gravius the Auror, and Hildegard the alchemist."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," the eagle said, it's gravelly, enigmatic voice unnerving Harry slightly. "And you clearly enjoy great wealth." The statue fell silent, and slid aside, revealing a door. Luna smiled innocently at Harry, who was obviously impressed with her lightning-quick logic.  
"Do you need to answer a riddle every time you go in?" he said, feeling a little intimidated. Now he was thankful he wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw, feeling somewhat inferior when challenged with reasoning puzzles.

"Yes, it's actually quite a pain," she replied, beckoning him inside. "But once you get used to it, it's not that bad really."

Luna pushed open the door and beckoned Harry inside. He stepped through the door, and glanced around at the Ravenclaw Common Room. The royal blue curtains were closed, and the armchairs were upholstered with azure fabric and silver studs. Harry could see by the flickering firelight the textbooks, quills, scraps of parchment, and other bits of detritus that were strewn haphazardly around the floor. For such intelligent students, they didn't keep the tidiest common room. "Come here," she whispered, sitting on a sofa and rifling through a bag on the table. Harry sat down beside her, experimentally resting his arm around her shoulders. She giggled quietly, and pulled out what looked like a fist-sized coinpurse. It was a small drawstring bag of deep purple velvet, with a gold infinity symbol sewn into the side. "Guess what this is," she said.

"No clue," Harry said, "What is it?"

"Here," she replied, grabbing a poker from beside the fireplace, "Look at this." She inserted the end of the poker into the bag, and let it drop down to the handle. "It's an infinite purse. My dad sent it by owl a few days ago. We can use it to store all of our trunks and keep them in my pocket for when we Apparate."

"That's incredible," Harry said, staring transfixed at it, "But our trunks are too big to fit inside. I assume there's some way to make it work?"

"Oh yes, very easily," Luna replied. "I remembered you telling me about that spell Moody used last year on the spiders to make them bigger." She drew her wand and pointed it at the bag. "_Engorgio!_" With a flash from her wand, it grew to the size of a sleeping bag. "I've never done this before, but I'm sure it can't hurt," she said, with a rebellious smile that was completely foreign to her face. "I don't think we want to bring that fire poker with us, so I'll have to try and get it out." Luna climbed in, and Harry could hear a muffled "Reducio" from the folds of the velvet. The bag shrank to its normal size, and Luna was nowhere to be seen.

"Alright, Luna, that's great, but we've got to get to bed soon. Can you get out now?" He looked down at the bag, which lay apparently limp and empty. "Luna, get out of there please, it's not funny." He picked it up and looked inside, seeing only the seam on the bottom. A quick breath escaped him, and he looked around nervously. "Er, Professor Flitwick, someone, help!" Harry said. He felt that he was running out of time. He repeated the engorgement charm, climbed in, and shrank the bag, just as Luna did. At first he gasped and groped as the suffocating darkness closed around him.


	13. Chapter 13

"Alright, Luna, that's great, but we've got to get to bed soon. Can you get out now?" He looked down at the bag, which lay apparently limp and empty. "Luna, get out of there please, it's not funny." He picked it up and looked inside, seeing only the seam on the bottom. A quick breath escaped him, and he looked around nervously. "Er, Professor Flitwick, someone, help!" Harry said. He felt that he was running out of time. He repeated the engorgement charm, climbed in, and shrank the bag, just as Luna did. At first he gasped and groped as the suffocating darkness closed around him.

At first struggling with the velvet lining and gasping for breath, Harry eventually found that he could breathe normally. He drew his wand. "_Lumos_," he said, looking around at the blackness only barely dented by his wandlight. "Luna, are you in here?"

"Yeah," she said calmly, her voice a little muffled from the distance and the soft material around them, "Come over here."

Hearing her made him relax a little. He turned around in an effort to find the direction of her voice. "Where are you?"

"Here," she said. Harry could hear her faintly say "Lumos" as well, and saw the tip of her wand light up her face a good distance away from him. He could see her smiling, and couldn't help a grin himself. He hurried over to her, treading carefully on what must have been the side of the bag lying on the floor.

"Isn't this great?" she said excitedly, "I come in here all the time. It's a bit too dark for a lot of things, but perfect for reading, relaxing, or just having some time to be alone and think."

"Erm, no offense, this is really amazing, but how do we get out?"

"Oh, not a problem," she said, her eyes round with excitement, "A lot of people think these bags are infinite, but they are just really really big on the inside. You just head in any direction, and once you get to the side, walk along it. You'll find the opening soon enough. And since you just got here, it should only be a couple steps that way. But you don't want to go just yet, do you?"

Harry thought for a second. It was getting late, and he'd never hear the end of it from Hermione if he failed his charms quiz tomorrow. But here he was, alone with Luna, in a mysterious and soothingly dark place. "I think just a bit longer is alright." He said "_Nox_," darkening his wand. Now, the shining sphere at the end of Luna's wand was the only source of light in the otherwise impermeable blackness.

Somewhat suddenly, she sat down cross-legged on the floor. Looking up at him, she patted the ground next to her, beckoning him to do the same. He did, and Luna held her wand between them, casting long shadows on the surrounding velvet. Harry looked at her, admiring her uniquely pretty features in the wandlight.

Luna opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something, but closed it again. Harry grinned at her. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing," she replied, "I don't want you to think I'm weird."

"That's never stopped you before, why should it now?"

"I dunno," she said, averting her eyes. Harry swallowed, and brought a hand up to stroke her hair. It was very sleek; softer than he remembered from that night in Hogsmeade. He grinned, but something caught his attention—her radish earrings were missing.

"What happened to your earrings?" he asked, watching her smile disappear.

"Oh, I took them out," she said, feeling her earlobe, "I guess they were a bit silly, now that I think about it."

Harry did nothing to hide his disapproval. "Luna, nobody asked you to change."

"But I thought you didn't like them," she answered quickly, "And that's also why I stopped talking to you about magical creatures, because I know you hate it when I try telling you about Snorkacks or nargles, so I kept it to myself."

"I appreciate the gesture," Harry began, somewhat hurt to see her under so much stress because of him, "But it's okay. You don't try to deceive people with pretenses to be popular, and it's why I love you." After saying that, Harry's tongue seemed paralyzed, along with the rest of his body. Not quite sure how she'd react, he just sat still, feeling his heart pound in his ribcage.

Her mouth opened in surprise, and her eyes seemed even wider than normal now. She breathed in, hesitating. "… I love you too, Harry." She grinned innocently at him.

The words seemed to come to Harry in slow motion. He couldn't help but lie back and laugh from sheer joy. He saw Luna smiling brightly at him, then she lay down next to him. She moved around a little, adjusting so that she and Harry lie face to face, their noses just inches apart. "Nox," she whispered, allowing the blanket of darkness to surround them entirely.

Harry could hear her breathing. He very carefully lay his arm on her side, and eventually moving it around to her back, pulling her tight against him, and felt her arm on his side. Before he could react, he felt her lips against his. At first his eyes were wide, but within seconds he closed them, lost in the moment.

Her lips felt wonderful. He no longer cared about what time it was or the grade he might get in Charms. All he wanted to do was keep on kissing her until his mouth dried out. For the moment, all was right in the world.

He broke away from her, what seemed to him to be far too soon. He stood up and awkwardly wiped his mouth on his sleeve, thankful for the pitch-blackness.

"Wow," he said, as she re-lit her wand, causing her to giggle.

"You're really sweet, Harry," she said, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Thanks," he replied, "You are too. But it really is late, and I should get to bed." He lit his own wand again as well.

"Good night then," Luna said, making no move to accompany him out.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Harry asked, "At least out of your pouch, that is."

"No, I think I'll stay here for awhile longer. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," He said, finding his way to the opening, still halfway in a daze from what just happened.


End file.
